The Committee will consider what could be done to break down any barriers in place.

Among the issues to be looked at will be:

Understanding the importance of diversity among local councillors, including the effect on public engagement, debate and decision making;

Understanding key barriers to attracting a more diverse pool of candidates for local government elections;

To explore areas of innovation and good practice that may help increase diversity in local government; and,

To explore the potential impact of the proposals in the Welsh Government's Green Paper, Strengthening Local Government, to increasing diversity in Council chambers.

"Wales is a country rich in diversity and it is important that our elected bodies properly represent that diversity," said John Griffiths AM, Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.

"This inquiry will not only look at the barriers faced by people from minority ethnic groups, or who are part of the LGBT community. We want to hear the experiences of people who would like to serve but don't feel they can for family reasons, for work reasons or for any other reasons.

"We want to understand these barriers and who they affect, and we want to explore areas of innovation and good practice to help overcome them."

A public consultation will be open until 24 August 2018. Anyone wishing to contribute or find out more information should visit the Committee's web pages.